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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented June 15,1880.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR v WZMZWY; .& %0/// $191? ATTORNEYS. S

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. MAHLING. Piano Forte Damper Attachment.

No. 228,912. Patented June 15,1880.

WITNESSES: I mvmrog: g; of/w/zz 7? 6) BY M g ATTORNEYS.

N-PLTERS. FHOTO-LITMOQMPMER, WAQMIMGTON. n10.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL MAHLING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PlANO-FORTE-DAMPER ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,912, dated June 15, 1880.

Application filed November 1, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL MAHLING, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Piano-Forte Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved piano-forte attachment, whereby the performer is enabled to sustain or permit the continuance of the sound of one or more strings after the fingers have been taken from the keys.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a crosssectional elevation of a piano-forte action providd with my improved attachment, showing the same in a state of rest. Fig. 2 is a like sectional elevation, showin g the manner of disengaging the attachment. Fig. 3 is a plan of an improved double lever to be used in combination with my action attachment. Fig. 4 is vertical sectional elevation of the same on the line a .r of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is aplan view of a modification of the improved double pedal. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the same on the line y y.

A A represent the keys, and B the hammerrail, of an upright-piano action. The damperlevers O O are pivoted between the jaws c in the ordinary manner, and are provided with a spring, D, which presses the damper E against the strings. The lower ends of these damper-levers are provided with an elongation, F, formed of wire or some other suitable material, and terminating in a notched head,

3 f, of felt or some othersuitable material; or

the damper-levers themselves are lengthened and provided with a small notch or recess.

A rail, G, provided with a projecting arm, H, resting upon the pedal-rod I, is pivoted or hinged to the lower action-rail, J, and is acted upon by a spring, j, which; presses it in the direction of the arrow to, so that it rests against the felted head of the set-screw K, ad-

justable in a lug in the action-frame. The

rail G may also be arranged to glide up and downgor sidewisejj or may; have alrocking motion.

A smaller rail, L, is pivoted or hinged to the rail G by means of the eye-pinsl 1, so that the rail will have more of a vertical and less The rail L is proof arotative movement.

vided with a projection, M, which rests on the top of the pedal-rod N, and is acted upon by springs O, which press it down onto the top of the rod N.

A series of springs, P P, rounded or provided with a head at the forward ends, are fastened to the rail L and extend outward to the end of the elongation of the damperlevers. The damper-levers are so arranged that their elongation is always between two adjoining jack-levers, Q, and opposite each elongation one of the springs P is fastened to the rail L.

The double pedal shown in Figs. 3 and 4 consists of the two pedal-levers It, pivoted at r, and R pivoted at T one being ZLbOXO the other. The lever R supports a rod at p which rod acts upon the rod 1, and the lever B supports a red at 12 which rod acts upon the rod N.

The springs 0 and 0 act upon the levers R and R respectively, and draw them back to their proper position after each action.

The modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 consists of one lever, S, provided with the two prongs S and S at the forward end.

The lever S is pivoted at t and t and the spring T acts upon the rear end of the lever, and the spring T upon the middle of the same. A rod acting upon the rod I rests upon the lever S at n, and a rod acting upon the rod N rests upon the lever S at o The rail L may be arranged to rock or swing, or it may be arranged to slide up or down or sidcwise; but, however, I prefer to hinge it as shown. The elongations of the damper-levers may also be constructed without a notch, but need only have a head of felt or other suitable material, the friction between the felt and the end of the spring P being sufficient to hold the damper-lever in the desired position.

The operation is as follows: If the player desires that a certain tone shall sound longer than the other tones, the lever B or the prong S of the lever S is depressed, which causes the points p or n to rise, and consequently causes the rod N to rise, for the rear ends of the levers are connected in some suitable manner with the rod N. If the rod N rises, the arm M and the rail L, to which the springs P P are attached, will be raised also, and the springs will press against the heads 1'' f of the elonga sion.

As long as the pedal-lever R is raised the springs P P will catch in the heads f f; but as soon as the damper-lever R resumes its position of rest the rail L drops to its former position, leaving the sprin s up that caught upon the dampers of only those notes that have been struck, and the dampers of the keys that are now struck are not caught by the springs.

As soon as it is desired to stop the sounding of the strings whose dampers are held by the springs P P the levers S or R are raised with the fore part of the foot, thus causing the rod I to rise. If the red I rises the rail G will move in the direction of the arrow 1), and will dis engage all the springs P P from theheadsff, as is shown in Fig. 2.

As soon as the pedal-levers S or R are released the spring j will force the rail G in the direction of a until it strikes the head of the screw K, by means of which the distance that the dampers are to be removed from the strings when caught by the springs P P can be regulated.

By means of a screw, WV, the height to which the rail L is raised by the rod N can be regulated.

If only one string is to sound longer than the rest, the pedal is depressed, the key is struck, and the pedal is immediately released before playing the next note. If it is desired that a string should sound longer a second time, the above operation is repeated.

This attachment can be applied to any style or pattern of piano-forte.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The attachment for piano-fortes herein described, consisting of the movable rails G and L, to the latter of which the springs P P are attached, in combination with the damperlevers O U and the pedal-rods I and N, all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a piano-forte attachment, the movable rail L, provided with a series of projecting springs, P P, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a piano-forte attachment, the combination of the rail Gr with the armHand the pedalrod I, constructed and arranged substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4:. A piano -'fortc pedal consisting of the combination of the lever t with the lever R arranged substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The piano-forte pedal S, having prongs S S, and pivoted at 25 16 as described, for the purpose of allowing the rods resting on the pedal to be raised, the one by depressing one prong and the other by raising the other prong.

CARL MAHLING.

Witnesses OSCAR F. Gem, 0. Snncwrcn. 

